Understanding the need to enforce Occupational Health and Safety best practices across all sectors of the economy, the Federal Government recently directed MDAs to establish desk offices to attend to such issues.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (CSF), Folasade Yemi-Esan, disclosed this on Thursday during the OSH National Workshop which was held at the conference Hall of the Raw Material Research and Development Council, Maitama, Abuja.
The Workshop with the theme “Safety and Security Knowledge: The Key to Saving Lives, assembles critical stakeholders from both the Public and the Concerned Private Sector.Yemi-Esan, who was represented by the Director, of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Department, Dr Comfort Adeosun, noted that safety was becoming an emergency issue.
While disclosing that a circular was issued to MDAs mandating them to establish desk offices and officers to man them, adding that the desk officers would be trained to know the roles they ought to play in their organisations, Yemi-Esan explained that “the head of the service is concerned about improving the welfare of civil servants and we expect that the private sector will also come on board to ensure that workers are safe. She nonetheless assured the citizenry of her office’s resolve to concretise its partnership with OSHAssociation to secure a healthy working environment for civil servants.
Declaring the event open, the Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauli Talen FOSHA noted that safety is paramount as its implementation will go a long way in preventing and addressing violence against women and girls which according to her should be a key part of the national response plan to nation’s unity.
Represented by Ms Gloria Ekanem, the women’s Minister noted that Safety Knowledge aligns with fundamental human rights and remains key to understanding interpersonal relationships. how to treat others.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Rabiu Magaji, the Chairman of the National Safety Advocacy Programme (NSAP) in his presentation titled “Best Practices for the Establishment of OSH in the Public Sector: Prospects, Challenges and Way Forward.
He asserted that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says more than 6,500 people around the world die every day of work-related illnesses and over 1,000 people a day from occupational accidents.
According to him, these accidents result in financial losses such as direct and indirect costs of reconstruction, recovery and reconversion of industrial sites; production interruptions; lost working time; workers’ compensation payments, among others. He added that “apart from these economic costs, there are intangible costs arising from immense human emotional and physical suffering and work-related stress for individual workers and their families.
“The environmental impacts of industrial hazards do not recognise borders, and their repercussions spread from local to national, regional and international levels. “Occupational accidents and diseases cause dreadful human pain and suffering, as well as important economic losses, yet awareness of the problem is still too low”, he said.
The Delegate was also enlightened on diverse Health and Safety Issues including Safety and Security Knowledge in the workplace, Professional Financial Safety intelligence, Crime factors, and Prevention and Control Strategies.
Topping the event was the conferment of Fellowship to 15 prominent individuals in recognition of their immense contribution towards the implementation of Safety best practices in their different areas of influence alongside the induction of 5 organisations as corporate members of the Association. A total of 26 individuals were also inducted as Members of the association in different categories.
OSHAssociation has since its inception remained resolute to the mandate of stunting Fatalities, Accidents and Incidence across all sectors of the economy through its diverse advocacy campaigns such as workshops, and training programs among others all to see that the level of Safety Consciousness of Nigerians improves across the board.